


Viridescent Shadows III: Gemma Chronicles

by DaringDanger



Series: The Huld Codices [4]
Category: Hilda (Cartoon)
Genre: Adventure, Gen, Magic, Prequel, World Exploration
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:07:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25824841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaringDanger/pseuds/DaringDanger
Summary: High witch Gemma Oket is preparing for her final battle and to rectify her biggest mistake. This is the story of how she ended up in Trolberg...
Series: The Huld Codices [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1453858
Kudos: 1





	1. Lost Spells

**VIRIDESCENT SHADOWS III**

**GEMMA CHRONICLES**

**BY DARING D.D. DANGER**

  
  


_Almost 500 years have passed since the biggest mistake of my afterlife. I’ve lost so much of my time to studying, tracking, and preparing to fight what I created. The day is fast approaching now_ _. T_ _he destination is a town called Trolberg. Today, I will make my final chronicle of the events that lead me, and my departed friend Cicily_ _,_ _to several lifetimes of fear. These logs will likely be the last thing I write_ _. Th_ _e last act of Gemma._

**LOG ONE: LOST SPELLS**

“Gemma, I found it!” Cicily tripped into the room, launching the book she was carrying. I extended my hand and caught the book.

“Look at the page I folded!”

“Why can’t you just use a bookmark?” I complained as I opened one of Huld’s old books. ‘Today I will create the first member of my army to take over the world,’ I read.

“We already know about the origin of the Marra,” I said.

“Next page!” Cicily demanded.

‘I can’t control it, it’s too powerful. I couldn’t even kill it. I fear it could actually kill me instead, so I sealed it away forever, dormant. I will try making my army again, this time with a girl, and only girls from here on out.’

“Alright, I see where you were going. This is a lot of reading though. Can you summarize the rest?” I asked.

“Huld used a boy as the first Marra, but it became something incredibly powerful that Huld had to hide away forever. Maybe we can find it and use it to destroy the soul fragments and free the others!” She jumped like a schoolgirl.

“Alright, but we need to take care of the camp first.” The pair ducked under a tree.

“Fuck the rainy season being right on top of us as we make this discovery.” I loathed the tropical weather but this bog was an excellent hiding spot.

“It’s fine, the girls can handle the rainy season without us!” Cicily was as overconfident as ever.

“Fine, we’ll go after this thing. Where to?” I asked.

“Closest warp is the original Huldrawood,” Cicily saluted.

“Ah, perhaps we’ll see Eva," I noted.

“Hey, the spiders,” Cicily pointed up. In the overhang were hundreds of spiders, native to the area. They always gathered like this during breeding season.

“Bloody fucking spiders.” I shot a ball of fire, igniting the whole tree and walked off.

“You don’t need to burn a whole ecosystem because you hate spiders,” Cicily whined.

“Fuck spiders,” I said angrily.

We pressed into the camp. I reached the main firepit, grabbed two pots and smashed them together.

“Alright, Cicily and I will be taking a trip. You girls will be in charge of the camp for the first part of the rainy season. As always, Yang is in charge.” I put the pots down signaling everyone to return to business. Yang was currently the only member of the camp who was also a Marra. Cicily and I agreed that it’s better not to mess with life cycles by making people immortal. Yang was a particularly exceptional leader, however, and we made an exception. Those living in the Huldermarsh were not informed about what a Marra was, and considered Cicily and Yang to be exalted by myself, the bog witch. Where even was Yang?

“Where do you think Yang has gotten herself?” I asked Cicily.

“Hunting, more than likely. She gets some sort of joy out of it, being able to climb trees like a spider.”

“Fuck spiders,” I noted again.

“If we’re leaving long term we need to seal all the magic books, check all the glamours, and talk to Yang.”

“I can check the glamours, you seal the books.” Cicily ran off. I ducked back into my tent and started hexing my stacks of books, one by one. One of these times I’d invent a mass hex for books.

Cicily returned as I finished the spellbook on invisibility, one I’d never quite managed to grasp.

“Glamours are stable,” she saluted.

“You sure?” I asked dubiously.

“Illusions are your specialty. They are always stable,” Cicily smiled.

“I have a handful of books left. Did you see Yang?” I asked.

“She was walking into camp carrying 3 boar,” Cicily assured.

“Always going to the extreme, that one," I mumbled. “Go get her.”

Cicily returned with Yang, a short but very muscular girl, with jet black hair.

“You’re leaving, ma’am?” She asked.

“Yes, I’m taking Cicily too. We won’t be back before the rains start," I said.

“Are you sure that’s wise? There are only three Marra for hundreds of human girls.”

“You just brought home three boar in an afternoon. You alone can feed them, and they can feed you in their sleep.”

“Are you certain?” She was still dubious.

“How are the young ones doing?” I asked.

“Everyone is well.”

“Are the structures doing well?”

“No damage to report." She shrugged.

“How’s the weapons stockpile?”

“Excellent, ma’am.”

“If you knew all of that on your own, what makes you think you cannot lead?” I ask.

“Understood.” Yang left with a shooing motion from my hand.

“Good girl, that one," I chuckled.

“Let’s make our final preparations and go see our friend Eva.” I retired to the bath hut and threw off my rags. The girls often stared when I took my baths. Perhaps they assumed part of my routine is what made me not age physically a day past 17 in several decades. I had created the bath hut myself. The water flowed naturally from underground, so it was cleaner than the rest of the bog water. I allowed myself to sink near the mouth of the fountain, just as a bucket of water was dumped on my head. I looked up and saw Cicily snickering.

“Foolish,” I said as I splashed her and whispered a spell to flash freeze the water, locking her to the ground. She continued laughing. Shortly, she joined meto help comb my hair out.

As we reached the hut once again, Cicily ran up to me, in one of her nicer dresses from before the marsh.

“What will you wear?” She asked.

“Obviously my white gown,” I noted, I wore it anywhere important. It was a simple garment and it flowed in the wind. I gathered the dress and our books and we turned to the fire pit.

As we approached, I pulled out my spell circle powder. I drew half the circle, then threw the bottle to Cicily to finish. I began chanting the spell and the fire turned the same sickly purple Huld’s had been.

“Shall we?” I extended a hand to Cicily, and she took it as we walked into the blaze.

This log certified accurate by the high witch Gemma Oket

  
  
  



	2. Lost Friends

**VIRIDESCENT SHADOWS III**

**GEMMA CHRONICLES**

**BY DARING D.D. DANGER**

**LOG TWO: LOST FRIENDS**

The forest I'd once called home came into view as the flame faded. Hundreds of Marra stood, facing me. Then I realized they were looking up. I turned around and saw Huld.She shot lightning from her arms, and half the Marra went up in dust-

"Gemma!"

Suddenly, I realized Cicily was hitting me. The Huldrawood was empty. Only Cicily was here. Wildflowers grew where the Marra had fallen.

"What just happened?"

"When we arrived, this place was full of Marra. Huld was here, and she killed them."

"I think you're hallucinating. We've been alone since we showed up. You collapsed and started hyperventilating right when we stepped out." Cicily looked fearful.

"Hey! No one walks into my camp!" I turned to see a long haired girl wearing a plague mask.

"Wait, Cicily? Gemma?" The girl removed her mask, it was Eva. Cicily ran up for a hug, which Eva skillfully dodged.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We have a lead on a way to permanently kill Huld," I said.

"You won't find much here. I live alone," Eva said.

"You've lived alone this whole time?" Cicily was bewildered.

"I have to protect the world from Huld. I can't place that burden on anyone but myself, so I've never created a Marra, and I have to bear the soul fragment, forever." Eva looked down. A silence passed. "Have you been visiting the other girls?"

"No, we don't know where they went," I replied.

"I heard a rumor Alma was somewhere in Norway. Sibyl has a Huldrawood flying distance from here, along the coast. I don't know about the others," Eva said.

"Perhaps we'll make a day trip to see Sibyl," I decided.

"She may want to see our progress."

"If we fly out now we can be there by sunup," Eva said.

"Wait," I said, "there's a problem. I can't fly."

"You're a Marra, you can fly." Eva was confused.

"Her powers haven't worked since the Enneagram backfired," Cicily informed.

"So we're carrying her," Eva groaned. Cicily nodded.

"We're going to need some fear, then.We're doing it my way."

"Cicily and I don't kill," I noted.

"I don't need your help," Eva growled.

"We're going into town." Eva pulled her plague mask on and began walking. The two of us decided to follow her. The forest gave way to the town.

"Wow, this has changed a lot." I was in awe.

"The old Roman walls are gone and so are a fair portion of the people but it's certainly still the London we know," Eva said. She soon led us to a pub on a busy street.

"Hey! Plague mask off in here!" The bartender said as we entered. We sat down with Eva.

"Three of the usual, on my tab." The bartender nodded at Eva.

"Does alcohol work on us?" Cicily asked.

"Yes," Eva said simply as three dark drinks slid over to her.

"Cheers to Huld! May she rot in hell." Eva held up her glass. Cicily and I clinked ours with hers and we drank. I immediately choked. Her drink of choice was very strong.

"Baby," Eva laughed.

“Not the worst thing I've done, but close," Cicily mumbled.

"Alright, let's go." Eva gestured us out of the bar. She put her mask back on and pulled us into an alley.

"Gemmaaaa," Cicily was poking me.

"Can't you see Eva's working?" I whispered. She poked my nose.

"Are you drunk?"

"You're drunk," she giggled uncontrollably.

"Ha!" Eva pointed and laughed.

"You're as irresponsible as ever," I grumbled to Eva.

"Just keep an eye on her, and watch me go." Eva jumped into the air and bounced off of the walls until she had climbed to the top. I don’t even know that she used her Marra powers for that, which was a terrifying thought. I began dragging Cicily behind me as we tried to keep up with Eva. I pulled us against a building as Eva jumped down and somehow landed quietly. She ran up behind a carriage and climbed under. A woman stepped out and began looking around, as Eva slipped into the carriage behind her. She turned around and re-entered the carriage, followed by an ear shattering scream. A green wisp left the carriage as a crowd gathered. I pulled Cicily in the direction of the wisp, which lead us back to the Huldrawood eventually.

“If you could fly, Gemma, we’d have gotten back much faster.” Eva was at the firepit, holding her knife.

“You’re kind of a prick,” Cicily muttered. Eva began cackling.

“You know I prefer the times when people don’t scream. I’ve gotten into carving peoples names into their back as a calling card. Does mean I sharpen my knife a lot though.”

“That’s kind of fucked up, honestly,” I said.

“Well it only has to work for me. And that lady screamed so hard!” As Eva bragged 3 wisps left the fire and fed each of us. “No Marra powers, and yet you still need to eat fear huh?”

“Yeah, I’m afraid so,” I noted as my veins briefly glowed with flame.

“Well, let’s go see Sibyl!” Eva extended a hand and suddenly everything turned green. The world was warped and moving at high speed. Did Eva pull me into her own wisp? Could we always do that?

How much time went by? Minutes, hours? Either way it abruptly ended as Eva let go and I rolled along some grass, ruining my white dress.

“You think Cicily is still tipsy?” Eva asked as I brushed myself off. No sooner did her wisp hit full force into the ground, coating me in dirt, again.

“Yes,” I groaned. Suddenly, I heard water behind me, and turned around to see endless blue.

“Oh my god...” I was awestruck, I’d never seen so much water.

“Never seen an ocean?” Eva asked.

“Not in person,” I replied.

“To what do I owe the honor of the three most powerful Marra and the witch who defeated Huld being in the same place?” A voice asked from behind us.

“Sibyl!” Cicily jumped up and ran over to her friend, who’d come up behind us. Sibyl had changed her look drastically. She was wearing men’s clothes, and had her head shaved. Her old gloves were now adorned with brass knuckles, and she carried a wooden cane.

“Nice to see you, Sib.” Eva waved. “How’d you find us, by the way?”

“You flew over town like a green shooting star, you idiot,” Sibyl replied. “None of my girls are that obvious.” She snapped her fingers, and seemingly out of nowhere, a bunch of Marra flew in behind her.

“Seriously. Four of us are not supposed to be in the same place. It better be a good reason.”

“We have a new lead on getting rid of Huld, permanently,” I replied.

“Oh, that is interesting.” She turned to her subordinates.

“Go home, the adults need to talk,” she yelled, and her Marra vanished as quickly and quietly as they came.

“First off, how are you girls?Do you have subordinates too?”

“Yes, although only one of ours is a Marra,” Cicily noted.

“Weird. Why?” Sibyl asked.

“We don’t want to change the natural order like Huld,” I added.

“I guess that makes sense. I like the long hair, Gemma,” Sibyl continued.

“I love whatever you are going for with this look a lot.” I sized up Sibyl’s outfit.

“Wait, you lost an arm! How did it grow back?”

“It didn’t.” She smiled and pulled up her sleeve. Her arm was replaced by clockwork.

“That’s so cool!” Cicily screamed.

“Do you know how the other girls are doing at all?” Eva asked.

“As far as I know, Alma went north. I have no clue where Beatrice or Ivett are, Estrid decided to go on some adventure around the world to ‘see as much as she could see’, and Alice is no longer with us, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, I didn’t know about Alice,” Eva said sadly.

“I’m sorry, I know you two were close.” Sibyl walked over and put a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“Alright, let’s cut to the good stuff.”

“We were Huld’s second attempt at an undead army. The first is some unknown creature. She gave it too much power, and even she couldn’t defeat it. Instead, she sealed it underground in some kind of trance state for all time. We think that we could harness its incredible magic potential to complete the original Enneagram spell,” Cicily said in one breath.

“I just don’t know where she’d hide something like that,” Eva pondered.

“Protected by her army,” Sibyl said. Everyone looked at her for a few seconds.

“There’s nowhere to hide things in the Huldrawood,” Eva pointed out.

“She never even told me, and I was her favorite. Meaning, it’s hidden from us, too,” Sibyl replied.

“I know a spell of revealing,” I suggested.

“Guess it can’t hurt. How does that work?” Eva asked.

“When I cast the spell, I briefly get this ability to see through things, and see anything hidden by magic. The catch is that my vision is screwed for a bit after.”

“Off we go.Wanna help me carry Gem, Sibyl?” Eva asked.

“What do you mean, carry?” Sibyl asked, concerned.

“I can’t fly anymore.” I held out my hands and they took them, and we made the terrifying trip back to the Huldrawood.

“...Oh.” I shivered.

“Did you find it?” Eva yelled.

“No… I can see the spot where we did the Enneagram really clearly. I feel sick.” I looked away from the lines, now worn away but still charged with magic. I only had a few minutes before this spell wore off.

“Check the place where the tent used to be,” Cicily suggested. The tent was also ablaze with latent energy, but then I saw it. A spell circle, underground.

“Eva, dig.” I pointed to the spot.

“Here we go!” Her veins flowed green and she gained her muscular stance, and began ripping dirt out of the ground like an animal. Before she hit brick, and punched through, falling in the process. We jumped in after her.

“You aren’t mom,” A deep male voice echoed eerily in the chamber. We walked into a large room with an active spell circle, which seemed to be holding a human-like creature, covered in hair, and with horns.

“Do you mean Huld?” Sibyl asked.

“Yes, that’s her. How is she?” He asked.

“Very dead," Eva announced proudly.

“Interesting. Who are you?” He now had one human eye opened.

“We’re called Marra. She created us, presumably after you overpowered her,” I said.

“Why have you sought me out?”

“We’re hoping your power is strong enough to prevent Huld from reincarnating,” I said.

“Perhaps it is. I will need to feed, assuming you will release me to do so.”

“Wait, we can’t release that thing. Huld was even afraid of it.”

“She just didn’t want to die,” Cicily argued.

“We shouldn’t. I don’t approve,” Eva said.

“But we have to!” Cicily pleaded.

“Fine, I guess we can’t stop you.But if it goes to hell, it’s on you and Gemma,” Sibyl said and left. Cicily walked over and kicked the circle incomplete, terminating it’s long running barrier.

“Thank you, Marra,” he said.

“What may we call you?” Cicily asked.

“I don’t remember my name, so you may use the name Huld gave me, Alp.” The Alp smiled.

“So, do you want to kill Huld tonight?” I asked.

“No, I think I will consume the minds of enough people to make up for this time in prison.Maybe make a few friends along the way.”

“Okay, when do you want to help us?” Cicily asked.

“Never. Thank you for releasing me, foolish Marra.You’ve started the end of humanity!” The Alp suddenly vanished in a flash of light.

“It teleported,” I whispered.

“What have you done?” Eva asked gravely.

This log certified accurate by the high witch Gemma Oket

  
  
  



	3. Lost Lives

**VIRIDESCENT SHADOWS III**

**GEMMA CHRONICLES**

**BY DARING D.D. DANGER**

**LOG THREE: LOST LIVES**

**Early 1500s**

Our boat tossed and turned as it crossed the turbulent waters. I sat across from Cicily, who was reading something.

“We should be arriving soon,” Cicily said, noticing I was growing impatient. “There’s been a lot of rumors of people being drained of blood in their beds here. That fits our Alp. That’s what the Alp book says, anyway.” We’d found a book left by Huld shortly after releasing the Alp. It explained how they fed, reproduced, and plenty of other helpful things.

“And as soon as we catch it, we can make a tracking spell with it’s blood,” I reassured myself. Why on Earth would the Alp come all the way to the Philippines?

We disembarked and found ourselves in a dense market as evening fell.

“CICILY!?” A voice startled Cicily and I. Suddenly, a woman with her hair in braids hugged Cicily.

“Wait, Estrid!? Is that you?” Cicily screamed loudly.

“It’s been over a hundred years!” Estrid smiled.

“Nice to see you too,” I greeted her.

“Gemma!” She pulled me into the hug too. “What on Earth are you doing here!?”

“We’re on the hunt for… something of Huld’s,” I said. “Why are you here?”

“I’m going to be one of the first people to circumnavigate the Earth!” She cheered. “It’sfate we’re here at the same time.”

“Circumnavigate? You mean you’ve crossed the ocean?” Cicily asked.

“We did!” She cheered. “The world is so enormous and beautiful!”

“We?” I asked.

“Yes, the Armada De Molucca. I serve under Captain General Magellan,” she smiled.

“That’s honestly boggling to think about, we barely got here from the teleport fire a few islands away and you all are sailing the entire world,” Cicily said in awe.

“Why wouldn’t I want to? I have conditional immortality. You know we’re going to be in port another day or so, can I help you two in any way?” Estrid asked.

“I guess we can tell her,” Cicily said.

“Me and Cicily screwed up. We accidentally awoke a very dangerous creature Huld created, in an attempt to lay her soul to rest forever.”

“Jesus,” Estrid exclaimed.

“It acts like a Marra, except it feeds via blood, and kills its victims,” I finished.

“I think I’ve heard murmurs about people being found drained of their blood around town,” Estrid said. “How do you kill something like that?”

“We found through Huld’s book that it’s pretty much unkillable, except while it’s in someone’s dream,” Cicily said.

“Even then it can stop feeding and attack. The first blow has to be lethal,” I added.

“So we can just decapitate it, then!” She pulled her sword out of its sheath, alarming a few people passing by.

“I mean, why not?” Cicily asked. “We just need to find it.”

“From the rumors I’ve heard, all the victims have been women,” Estrid said.

“Of course they are. It always seems serial killers do that,” I said, crossing my arms.

“Well, if people in the village know, the most under prepared woman would be someone not from around here,” Cicily suggested.

“Like the cook on the Conception?” Estrid asked.

“Exactly like that.” We both nodded at her.

**Later…**

“Shouldn’t we be on the boat?” Cicily questioned. The trio was hiding behind a log overlooking where the armada was moored.

“There’s only one entrance to where the crew sleep, and we can see it from here.”

“Well, at least it’s nice out,” I mumbled. The moon was high and the ocean air was blowing gently.

“So, are you two doing anything besides monster hunting these days?” Estrid asked.

“We have the people in our Huldramarsh,” I noted.

“So, you made a following of Marra, like Sib,” Estrid noted.

“Actually, only one is a Marra. The rest are human,” I corrected.

“That’s interesting.”

“We don’t want to risk spreading the curse, only our most trusted confidant is a Marra,” Cicily added.

“Like I’ve said, I choose not to treat it like a curse, I am going to see as much as I can see.” Estrid gestured out to the world.

“Wake up!” Gemma shook both Cicily and Estrid who’d fallen asleep together on the ground. “We don’t even need sleep. Who do you think you are? Alma?”

“Who do you think you are, making fun of her? Sibyl?” Cicily giggled.

“Look.” Gemma pointed at the boat, annoyed. There was a dark figure climbing on the side of the boat like an insect.

“We’re sure it’s not a Marra?” Cicily asked.

“No, I’ve seen no signs of any since I’ve been here,” Estrid insisted. I nodded at her and began tiptoeing to the boat. The girls flew behind me, and I could feel them staring at me for not being able to fly myself. The pair bug-crawled up the side of the boat as I found the rope ladder. We crossed the deck and entered the crew quarters. The insides of the boat reeked of men who’d not bathed in months. I had no clue how Estrid dealt with it. We then found our way to the food storage area, where they made the cook sleep apparently.

That was when we saw the creature, covered in dark hair, latched to a young woman. Estrid unsheathed her sword. Lining the swing up so as not to hurt the woman, whose neck was in the creature's mouth. She swung, severing the creature's head, and spreading black goo all around the small room, not unlike the blood of a Marra. Suddenly the head started screaming an unearthly sound and the body burst into flames that filled the room.

After a few seconds Cicily opened her eyes and took in that the room was now charred, and alight in haunting green. Cicily realized that there was a green aura separating the 3 Marra from the now soot-covered and very awake woman, one of Gemma’s barriers. She looked to Gemma, whose eyes and veins glowed bright green.

“Gemma!" Cicily shook the girl, but she was lifeless as tears ran down her face.

_A burst of wind hit me suddenly as I was surrounded by violet flames._

_“She’ll reincarnate if we break the circle now!” Cicily yelled from the other side of the spell circle. I screamed as the fire began to consume me, feeling like my skin was melting._

“What’s wrong!?” Estrid asked Cicily as she shook Gemma.

“She’s having one of her flashbacks to fighting Huld, it happens whenever she uses her Marra powers!” Suddenly the barrier faded and the light left Gemma’s body, leaving her unconscious. “Poor Gemma.” Estrid and the cook were silent as Cicily lifted Gemma out of the charred room.

This log certified accurate by the high witch Gemma Oket and her life partner Cicily Eden


	4. The Lost Trail

**VIRIDESCENT SHADOWS III**

**GEMMA CHRONICLES**

**BY DARING D.D. DANGER**

**LOG FOUR: THE LOST TRAIL**

**Holy Roman Empire, 1642**

”I’ll never understand these Alps picking these odd places to lurk,” Cicily moaned as the carriage rattled down the dirt path.

“It’s the middle of a war. Of course it’d come here,” I noted.

“I mean, why this particular part of the war zone? Why this Breitenfeld place?”

“That, I cannot say. There was a fairly large battle here recently, I suppose." The area outside of the town was torn by war and death hung in the air.

“Perhaps it feasts on weak people as a preference.”

“Or, maybe sad ones,” I added in a grim tone.

The carriage entered the limits of the city, most of its structures damaged. The few people on the streets were sad, or injured, or both. We stepped out of our carriage and waved down a woman, who seemed to be giving directions.

“I’m sorry, ladies, but I’m very busy helping with the wounded.” She tried to shoo us away.

“I’m sure, but we’re here on important business as well. My friend and I are monster hunters, and we’ve tracked a rather nasty one to this area,” Cicily explained.

“Oh, great, as if things weren’t dire enough.”

“Has anyone been found missing all their blood in their beds?” Cicily asked.

“None that were not bleeding already, that I know of. Even then, that’s only from the recent battle, nothing terribly odd was happening prior. Are you sure you are in the right place?”

“Well, Gemma, are we?” Cicily changed back to English. I pulled out the compass I’d enchanted with the samples of the first Alp.

“Unless I’ve messed up the tracking spell, yes.” The compass needle spun wildly where we stood. “Or it left in a hurry very recently.”

“If the compass was pointing here, then certainly it would’ve been here a long time, but if this lady is to be believed, there’s no sign of it. Something’s off.”

“Perhaps we should build a pathway fire nearby and return home.”

“Yes, I agree, Gemma, but we need to do that away from town. Don’t want to get tried as a witch in the Holy Roman Empire.” With that, we returned to our carriage to head into the woods and build a portal.

The fire portal opened as the flames climbed into the sky. Cicily entered first, extending her hand back for me to hold, and we were whisked away. The sensation of teleportation felt like flying and burning all at the same time all while my sight was reduced to pure light. Then it stopped as Cicily tugged me so hard it caused me to fall.

“Cicily, what the hell?” I stood up as screams drowned out my complaints. Fire raged in the center of the housing section of camp.

“Hey! Finally!” Yang yelled from the sky, her eyes Marra green, her hair frayed, and her veins alight with the death glow of a starving Marra. Suddenly a dark flash took her out of the sky.

“Holy shit! I’m going after her, get your weapons!” Cicily took to the air and wisped away. I ran over to my hut, which was left unaltered, and opened my chest, pulling on my weapons and armor, and dusting off my magic wand.

“Ma’am!” A few of the girls had gathered.

“It’ll be fine soon, I promise.”

“Yang has been fighting the monster for twenty two hours without you.”

“Twenty two...” I muttered before taking off.

“Let’s go!” I looked up as two green streaks came down and smacked into the ground. Cicily and Yang were holding the unmistakable hairy body of an Alp, which they’d smashed into the ground. It seemed unfazed entirely as it brought both of it’s arms together, smashing Cicily and Yang together.

With a scream I took a flying leap and slashed my sword into the Alp’s side. After penetrating an inch of it’s side my sword got stuck. The Alp turned and ripped my sword from its side, sending it into the woods. What if it was impossible to kill it?

“You have to get tired eventually!” Yang bellowed as she punched the Alp in it’s face.

“Not likely,” it said in a demonic voice.

“Can it even be killed by force like this?!” I yelled to Cicily.

“We don’t even know if we can be killed by force, much less the biology of this nightmare!” Cicily exclaimed as she dodged a swing.

“Try Waking Nightmare!” I yelled. Cicily nodded as she entered her wisp form and charged the Alp’s head. The Alp let out a scream before ejecting Cicily’s wisp from it’s head at high speed. Guess that doesn’t work. The Alp spun around and grabbed my leg with crushing force and whipped me into the air. The world was a blur until I impacted a tree and began seeing stars. Cicily flew by and I pushed off of the tree, only to be caught by a sharp pain in my chest. I looked down and saw a tree branch sticking out of my chest, black ooze spilling from it. Right through my heart. I grit my teeth and pulled myself off. The wound will heal, but I was already feeling more drained than before the hit. I pulled my magic wand out and ran back into the clearing through the trees and bog water.

The Alp was in the mud with Yang on its back. She was bashing its head, seemingly to no avail. I began charging my wand, glowing in deep green as the Alp freed itself. A blast went from my wand into the eye of the Alp. It turned to me and charged, only to be hit in the side by Cicily at high speed, sending it into a tree, which dropped all of its branches from the force. Yang charged and grabbed it by the arm, which produced a disgusting crunch. I began spinning my wand, forming a circle for a much larger blast.

“Hold it!” I yelled. Cicily saw my wand complete its circle and hit the Alp’s face at full force. I began signing my signature inside the spell circle and as I crossed the T in Oket, the marsh filled with light, the blast traveled like lightning and hit the Alp square in the face, burning its hair off.

“You attacked my people while they were defenseless,” I said.  
“You are massacring my species,” the Alp said in a deep voice.

“You left me no choice.” I walked up to the creature and grabbed it’s head, twisting until the air filled with the sound of cracking bones. I bit down and kept twisting. Cicily joined and the creature’s head began spewing blood. Bones cracked and sinews popped. Its head ripped off and Cicily threw it into the mud. I looked to her, bruised and covered in the creature’s blood. Yang on the edge of turning to ash, her clothes doused in mud, blood, and certainly her own ooze. Finally, to my formerly white dress covered in red and brown, torn and frayed.

“We need to talk, Gemma.” Cicily put her hand on my shoulder.

This log certified accurate by the high witch Gemma Oket  
  



	5. Soul

**VIRIDESCENT SHADOWS III**

**GEMMA CHRONICLES**

**BY DARING D.D. DANGER**

**LOG FIVE: SOUL**

“You’re going to tell me to pass the soul fragment again.”

Cicily stamped her foot on the ground. “Of course I am!” Smoke rose into the air from the multiple burial ceremonies following the Alp attack, making the air abnormally dry. “It’s not about Huld. You know about my theory.”

“Passing the fragment should pass the prime power of the host as well,” I mocked.

“Yes! Please, this could’ve been less destructive than it was if Yang had your barriers!”

“I don’t want to pass the fragment to do it.”

“Gemma, We need someone powerful guarding our home. If you won’t give up your fragment, I’m not going to come with you on hunts anymore.”

“What!?” I put my hands on my head. “Cicily, we have always done everything together!”

“Gemma, I know that, we’re bound to live until we defeat Huld. I was there when we made the blood pact.” Cicily held up her hand scar. “We don’t need to be next to each other to beat Huld, and the Alps are more pressing.” She snapped her fingers and brought green fire to her fingertips, adding a haunting illumination to my home. She drew an all to familiar shape on the ground with her finger, the Enneagram spell. She snapped, bringing the flame count to ten.

“Why?”

“To show you all the fragments are safe, Gemma. Our friends or their descendants are keeping their promises. Meanwhile the Alp just took out a third of our population, and nearly killed Yang.” We stood in silence, illuminated by fire.

“Give Yang the fucking soul fragment.” Cicily left and slammed the door, blowing out the spell, and leaving me in the dark. I fell to my knees and cried.

Rain returned to the marsh, pattering off the buildings. Mud squished between my shoes as I walked. The air felt different. The residents were not coming to talk to me, many were in their houses, those that still had homes. I hadn’t taken off the dress I’d fought the Alp in, or left my home in the three days since. I approached Cicily’s door with apprehension. Water trickled down her door as I finally worked up the courage to knock. A few seconds passed and Cicily answered the door, in her nightgown.

“Are you ready?” She looked tired.

“Yes” I said quietly.

“Let me put clothes on, then.” She closed the door quickly, sprinkling me with water. Her voice sounded hostile. The door opened again quickly, Cicily had thrown on a dress.

“To Yang’s house?”

“No, come in,” she gestured. Yang was sitting at Cicily’s table, sipping on tea.

“Tea, Miss Oket?” Yang held out a cup. I nodded and held the cup in my hands. Yang poured.

“How much have we told you of Huld?” I asked, putting the tea down to cool.

“You explained that she created you, and that you defeated her, partially.”

“The spell Cicily and I performed failed. Instead of destroying her soul, we each absorbed part of it. This leads to Cicily’s theory.”

“My theory that upon transferring Huld’s soul, the hosts special ability goes with it.”

“Like Miss Eden’s Waking Nightmare?”

“Or my barriers, yes.”

“What are you saying?” Yang seemed baffled.

“You clearly would die for this place. We think my barriers may be better in your hands.”

“You want me to carry Miss Oket’s soul fragment!?” She looked back and forth.

“That’s such an honor.”

“Cicily, show her the thing.” Cicily pulled away her rug, revealing the bare floor. She began drawing the Enneagram spell, slower than normal as Yang watched.

“After you draw the circle, nine flames will appear. Once that happens, snap your fingers, and the tenth flame will appear in the middle,” Cicily demonstrated. “You can check if all nine fragments are still contained this way, and pass the fragments as well. I stepped into the circle, the fire licking but not burning my legs.

“Get in.” I extended a hand. Yang grabbed it and joined me in the circle. “Do you swear to keep the secret of the Nightmarish Nine, and pass the fragment and the spell on before you die?”

“Yes ma'am, "she nodded.

“Sorry for how informal this part is,” I said, clearing my hair from my face. Yang looked confused as I pulled her into an embrace and kissed her. Suddenly I felt something searing crawl from my throat and leave my mouth. Yang pushed herself away and grabbed her throat like she was choking. She hacked and a bit of purple smoke passed from her mouth. Then she was silent.

“I wasn’t expecting you to kiss me,” she blushed a little.

“I didn’t want you to be afraid of it hurting.”

“Well, it does hurt like hell.” She coughed a few more times. “So, I can use your barriers now!?” She changed tones quickly.

“When I could still do that, I just had to extend my arm and visualize it.”

Yang held out her arm and closed her eyes. Suddenly a barrier spawned and hit her full force backwards in the face, sending her into one of Cicily’s chairs, which collapsed with a crunch.

“Shit,” Cicily moaned while I laughed a little. “Please leave us, Yang.” Cicily shooed her away.

“Why’d you do that?” I said, finally grabbing my tea.

“I’m still not going with you on the next hunt.”

“What!?” My voice cracked a little.

“I feel safer with me and Yang here, guarding our things. You are smart, you can handle an Alp.”

“I don’t know what to say. I’m scared of being alone, I guess.”

“You’ll do fine, Gemma.”

“I don’t think I need to worry about it right away, anyhow.”

“What do you mean?”

I pulled out the enchanted compass.

“Look.” I held it out, the needle was un-moving, dead.

“So, either we got the last one, or more likely, the others are lying dormant.”

“Hopefully, we have time for things to return to normal.” I returned the compass to my pocket, and turned to leave.

“I’m sorry for yelling, Gemma,” Cicily said quietly.

This log certified accurate by the high witch Gemma Oket.


	6. Lost Hope

**VIRIDESCENT SHADOWS III**

**GEMMA CHRONICLES**

**BY DARING D.D. DANGER**

**LOG SIX: LOST HOPE**

Clicking filled my ears as I awoke. As my eyes adjusted, I found the offending object on my nightstand. I grabbed it, threw on a dress and walked outside. The air was warm and humid. It would likely rain soon. The village had returned somewhat to its normal in the hundred or so years since the Alp attack.

“Good morning, Miss Oket!” A small girl waved as I walked by. Another woman waved as she passed by with a cart full of fruit. Recently, someone had begun building a cobbled path in the center of town, surrounding the sword I’d used in the Alp attack. Roughly fifty years ago, outsiders began wandering very close to the marsh, so Cicily and I decided to hide it with an illusion, and we enchanted the sword together. It’s now considered a landmark, so to speak. Some children were playing football on the part of town center that had been flattened but not filled with stones yet. I don’t think they are supposed to be doing that, but I’m not sure.

Cicily’s door came into sight and I gave it a knock. I heard the sound of something falling before Cicily leaned her head out of the door.

“Is it important, Gemma?”

I nodded and pulled out the enchanted compass. I was spinning wildly and still making clicking sounds as it went.

“Ah, it is. Let me put a shirt on.” Cicily closed her door. I looked around, watching the trees sway in the breeze, and the birds fly overhead, until Cicily returned and let me in. I entered her home, and was surprised to see Yang sitting in Cicily’s armchair, but sideways with her legs over the arm.

“Good morning, Miss Oket.” Yang smiled.

“Is it okay if she’s here for this? We were in the middle of breakfast.” Cicily noted.

“Yes, that’s fine.” I pulled the compass out and set it on Cicily’s table. Cicily chanted something and touched the compass, causing it to settle on northwest. “Are you sure you don’t want to come, Cicily?”

“You know what happened last time.”

“Yes, I do. But what if the Alp has chosen a home very far away from a fire pit?”

“Then come back, and I’ll fly you.”

“Alright, then.” I saw myself out and turned to home. Something had changed between Cicily and I in the last few decades. I couldn’t tell you exactly what it was, but sometimes it kept me up at night.

I began grabbing my bag of things, and the sheath for my new sword. Someone made it for me a few years after the Alp, saying my skills would be better with a two-handed sword. It took a while to get used to the heavier weapon, but I did end up liking it. I grabbed the sword from my mantle. It had a special hilt, designed to hold my magic wand inside of it. I pulled the strip of wood out of the bottom of the sword. Most witches normally used an object that was important to them as their wand, but I had lived so long that I’d broken four or five of them now, and I just grabbed a new stick each time, or in this case, a rod that was made for the sword. Cicily used an old fountain pen as her wand, it suited her scholarly nature well. I sheathed the sword over my back.

I approached the fire pit, the members of the village quietly noting I was wearing combat gear. Most knew of the events with the Alp, although no one who’d been alive for it was still around. I grabbed a handful of powder from my bag and threw it into the fire, which quickly towered over me. To the original Huldrawood. I entered and reality melted away, and just as quickly my surroundings had become the Huldrawood. I stepped out into the field, the flowers now so large they overran everything else.

“Eva?” I yelled, but only received an echo. The fire pit here was being overgrown too, without care it may not work as a portal much longer. The logs we’d sat on after taking out Huld had decomposed. Eva wasn’t here anymore. Perhaps she’d passed away, alone. The flowers looked like a renaissance painting as I trudged through them. I approached where Huld’s shed had been, there were no remains left of it either.

I trudged further to where we’d unearthed the Alp holding cave. Plant life was now filling the opening, it almost looked like a cave and not a man-made space at this point. I pulled out the compass. It was twirling in circles.

“Why?” I muttered as I tapped the device.

“It’s not broken.” I turned into the cave towards the haunting voice. An Alp sat in the corner, near where I’d freed the original so many years ago. I pulled out my sword.

“You don’t need to do that,” it said.

“I do, monster.” I gritted my teeth.

“You insist on hunting down and executing my species, so I knew you’d show up here eventually.”

“Why not hide?” I asked.

“Don’t want to. I’m not the type to run. My creator was the very Alp you freed, the original. He told me very few people could become Alps, and that I, and my siblings who could, had a destiny. Something like ending humanity.”

“And that’s why I’m here. I can’t allow you to do that.”

“I don’t want that. I only get up to eat as needed, not unlike you, nightmare spirit.”

I was taken aback by the comment.

“I made a blood oath to eradicate Alps from this world.”

“I’m not your enemy, Gemma Oket.”

I was shaking a bit.

“Maybe you are right, but I made a pact.”

“So that’s how it is, then? Fine, let’s duel to the death, if only one of us is allowed to live.”

I simply nodded. The Alp picked up a sword from the ground, it must’ve had it as some sort of keepsake. It cracked its knuckles and lunged at high speed. It hit me with unimaginable force and I flew. I couldn‘t even keep track of where I was until I hit the ground- some kind of rock hitting my back, and flower petals scattering into the air. My sword clanged into the ground next to me.

“Come on, Marra! Come at me!” The Alp was walking towards me slowly, its arms out as if asking for a hug. I grabbed the sword and stood up. Something in my back cracked as I stood, must’ve broken something. I ran at the Alp, and parried its swing to intercept me, and followed up with a bash to the chest from my pommel. It immediately swung back at me, which I narrowly dodged with a jump.

“Not bad. Will you answer a question for me?”

“What would that be?” I refused to unlock my eyes from the creature.

“Do you remember being human?”

“Yes and no. I feel like I did more-so in the 1300s. As I’ve remained here, it’s faded. I think you can only retain so much. I was poor, uneducated. Last I remember was falling asleep in agony from the plague.”

“I remember nothing at all. I retained my ability to speak and read. Strangely, I remembered how to use a sword.” The Alp swung at me which I met with my blade.

We began moving quickly, slashes flying as quickly as either of us could muster, more flowers getting sent into the air with the blades. The Alp let out a scream and swung, and sparks flew before I noticed half of my blade clatter to the ground. I ripped my wand out of the sword and threw the blade aside. I began unleashing fireballs at the Alp, who dodged the blasts with a certain grace- instead the blasts all ignited small patches of the flower field.

“I’m done with this frivolity.” The Alp launched itself forward. I jumped to avoid but felt a warm sensation in my left leg. I came to the ground and immediately fell onto my back. I lifted my left leg, and noted my foot was gone, black ooze was spewing from the stump. The Alp stood over me as I pushed myself back. It swung again, black ooze filled the air. I could no longer move, and I began coughing up ooze. I couldn’t inhale or speak. The Alp was over me again.

“You’re nothing, Gemma.” It held the blade over my heart. I blinked, when I opened my eyes, Huld stood over me.

“You’re nothing, Gemma,” she scowled. My vision slowly filled with green.

To be continued...


	7. Gemma's Pact

**VIRIDESCENT SHADOWS III**

**GEMMA CHRONICLES**

**BY DARING D.D. DANGER**

**LOG SEVEN: GEMMA’S PACT**

I opened my eyes. The flower field was silent. I was lying on my back. I raised my right hand, only to find it wasn’t there. The end of my arm was dripping in ooze. Last I recalled, the Alp had swung at me. My left hand was still present. I pushed myself up, causing a new wave of ooze to come up my throat. I retched several times and the ooze ran down my chest. I was finally able to look at myself. I tried to scream and only vomited again. I was missing everything below my chest, sitting in a pool of ooze.

“Shit, shit, shit.” I looked around as best I could. I wasn’t in the place I’d been severed. The flowers now towered over me.

“What the hell happened!?” My vision turned black from pain as I pushed myself onto my chest. I reached forward and dragged myself a few feet forward, my hand scraping through the dirt.

“I can’t die here! The girls won’t even know what happened!” I pulled forward again, " _I_ don’t even know what happened.” I pressed forward again and got a face full of bitter mud. Suddenly, my hand fell on something hard. I grasped it and pulled it towards me. The Alp’s sword, covered in ooze. My body had to be here. I propped myself up a few inches from the ground, causing more vomit to spill from my mouth. The ooze was one of the worst things I’d ever tasted. So sour it made my face want to shrivel.

I let myself drop again as I set eyes on my other hand. It glowed ever so faintly through the dirt and ooze.

“It looks like a starving Marra, weird.” I lined it up with my arm stump, but nothing happened. I wrapped my left hand around it and began chanting. My hand lit with fire, burning the two limbs back together with a pain that made me want to never see my hand again. I let go, but found I couldn’t move the limb. The glow began to fade, which told me it was attached again. Perhaps movement would come with time. I used the other hand to prop myself up and over another few inches of flowers. I repeated a few times before I came upon the aglow lower half of my body.

“Now how the hell will this work?” I tried my right hand again, and with a crack I gained a little movement. I reached out and grabbed the bottom half of my dress and began ripping. The fabric separated into frayed bits. It was destroyed anyway, what did I care? I laid the fabric on the ground, grabbed my lower half with all the might my arms could muster, and tugged it onto the fabric, and followed up by doing the same for myself. I tied the fabric around myself, lining both halves up, and pulled it so tight I winced. I guess I just had to wait until I could feel something, sitting on the cold ground.

Hours seemed to pass before I could move. I’m not even sure how long I’d been laying here. I just knew I could move my toes. I put all my focus into flexing and was able to raise my legs, at which point I remembered I was short a left foot still. Right. It hurt to sit up, but at least I could again. My hair fell in my face as soon as I did. It must’ve come untied. I spent a few moments haphazardly braiding my bloodied and muddied hair before taking to crawling on my hands and knees. At least I could really look over the flowers if needed now. A large section of the field had burned away, and was still smoking a little. That must’ve been me. I began chanting and held out my right hand, which my magic wand quickly flew into.

“At least I don’t need to replace this yet,” I mused to myself. At the moment, the sun hit something a short distance away from me. I crawled over and found the bottom half of my sword sticking from the ground. “If only Marra healing abilities worked on you.” I pulled out the blade and marveled at how clean the break was. I stood and attempted to use the sword as a cane, which seemed to work. The wind had picked up and the remaining flowers moved like water in the ocean. Perhaps it was a matter of having no clothes below my chest, but for the first time in many years, I felt cold. I turned around and noticed something else. The Alp. I approached the motionless creature, and found it laying in the dirt. It was charred to a crisp, and certainly had passed on. Did I do this… after being sliced in half? How did I not remember? I stumbled over to its sword, and returned it to the corpse.

“You fought honorably, Alp.” I pulled out my wand and set the creature ablaze. Better than letting it rot in this field. At that moment, I noticed something odd. The area the corpse was in had no plant life whatsoever, and was a perfect circle. I walked a bit and noted that there were other circular areas nearby that matched. I whispered a revealing spell, and suddenly all I could see was green. The entire circle I was standing on was aglow.

“Alma”

The characters floated on the edges of my vision. This was where the first Enneagram spell took place. I moved along a glowing green line on the ground to a large opening. The word ‘Huld’ entered my mind.

“This is where we burned Huld,” I whispered. The ground in these spots was barren and dead, cursed from the spell I’d performed hundreds of years prior. I walked back to the Alp along the green line, as the spell began to fade. Just before it did, I caught the word that entered my vision next to its corpse. ‘Gemma’.

“Gemma!” Cicily ran over as I exited the warp fire. I must be a sight, no foot, no clothes, covered in blood, mud, and scars.

“I’m fine, Cicily.” My sword clanged along the ground as I stepped with it.

“You are not fine! What the hell happened!?”

“I did my goddamn job, like we promised in the pact.” People were staring as we went.

“I should’ve gone with you.”

“I’m alive, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine! Why don’t you rest?”

“I’ll rest when I’m done.”

“What do you mean done!?”

I held out the compass. I’d found it on the ground with the remains of my bags in the flower field. It pointed to the east.

“I mean done.”

“You can’t go hunting again now!”

“I can handle it. Just need clothes.”

“No, you can’t. You’re not going.”

“Yes, I am.” I stabbed the ground with my sword.

“No, you’re not,” Cicily said sadly. By the time I turned, she’d already finished the spell with her wand. The light blinded me, and everything faded to black.

This log certified accurate by the High Witch Gemma Oket


	8. Do You Want to Die?

**VIRIDESCENT SHADOWS III**

**GEMMA CHRONICLES**

**BY DARING D.D. DANGER**

**LOG EIGHT: DO YOU WANT TO DIE?**

“What does she even want!?” I stretched my arms to the sky looking for an answer.

“No clue. Maybe she just hates you,” I said to myself.

“Cicily could never hate me. We’re like sisters.”

“Really? Then why’d she abandon you these last few decades?”

“She’s watching the camp.”

“Yang can do that, she always has.”

“What about the Alp attack?”

“Just go kill the next one before it kills anyone else.”

“I’d love to, but Cicily put a curse on me that prevents me from leaving my house.” A knock ended my conversation.

“Come in!” I yelled, slouching further in my bed.

“Hey, Gemma,” Cicily said.

“Are you here to let me out?”

“And what would you do if I let you out?” Cicily asked, clearly talking down to me.

“Kill the Alp.”

“Then no. I’m here to drop your clothes off.”

“You know we need to deal with it,” I noted.

“Yes, that’s why I’m doing it.”

“Like, alone?” I pondered.

“Yes, Gemma.” She rolled her eyes.

“Let me come, at least.”

“Gemma, you have the only thing worse than two left feet. None. How do you plan on fighting it with one foot and a broken sword?" She left before I could answer.

“I can still do magic,” I muttered. I turned in my bed and slid off, immediately falling to the ground. I looked to my leg, mad at myself for already forgetting about my foot. I crawled over to my books and began flipping through the pages.

“What if I translocate? Does it count as leaving the house?” I’d never gotten translocation spells to work. They were only for sorceresses due to the danger. The fires are safer, albeit more limited. I read through the book on it as fast as I could before pulling my wand out. I chanted the spell, but nothing happened.

“Miss Oket!?” Yang was yelling from outside.

“Come in. And just call me Gemma.” I heard the rustling of Yang coming into my home before she appeared in my bedroom.

“Why are you on the floor, ma’am?”

“My foot, Yang.”

“Let me help you.” She knelt down and put her arms under my body, before lifting me onto the bed like I was a toddler. She grabbed the book I was reading.

“Translocation?” She looked puzzled.

“It’s like teleporting through the fires, but without needing the fire.”

“Interesting.”

“What did you need?” I asked.

“I just came to check on you.”

“Well, I’m fine, thank you, Yang.”

“Miss Oke- Gemma, may I drop formalities?”

“Sure, Yang, after all this time, that’s fine.”

“No you aren’t,” she said sternly.

“I’m... sorry?”

“You’re not fine. Gemma, you’ve spent two weeks in bed. You are wearing the same clothes Cicily put you in after she knocked you out.”

“Your point? Cicily locked me in here.”

“She locked you in the house, not your bed.” I locked eyes with her, trying to not look angry.

“Okay, fine! I’m not fine. I was just trying to do my job.”

“Hunting the Alp is not your job. Protecting your people is. Maybe you don’t lead like a king, but people love you, and support you for creating a village hidden from the eyes of normal people. People lived, died, had their best lives here. Their kids and their kids' kids live here. And they all look up to the immortal bog witch, Gemma.”

I thought about it.

“We don’t want to see you like this.”

“I guess you are right. But the Alps… that’s my mistake.”

“Do you want to die?” Yang asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You nearly died against the last Alp. You don’t even remember how you won. You were broken into pieces like a dropped vase, and never got your foot back at all. You would’ve certainly died if you went out again immediately, like you wanted. Clearly, your wish is to die.”

“No! I can’t die until my work is done.”

“Yes, you can. Maybe that’s your problem, Gemma, you think yourself immortal.”

“Bullshit! I am immortal!”

“Stop lying to yourself! We all know Marra can die! Did you forget all your friends? Hundreds of the original Marra?”

I grimaced as hard as I could, but it couldn’t hide the tears.

“I promise you can die. I will prove it right now if I have to. Cicily is losing herself trying to keep you alive and I’m sick of it. Cicily is wasting herself on you. And you return the favor by getting more and more self destructive, and narcissistic! You keep putting yourself in danger and ignoring others.”

“She sent me to fight the Alp alone!”

“That’s not the point! You took the Alp out fine, the problem is that you tried to go right back at it, without healing at all. You weren’t even going to say hi. When’s the last time you cared about anyone but yourself and fighting Alps?”

“I care. I lead this village, and I love Cicily!”

“You do? Okay then tell me, who’s Cicily’s romantic partner? Surely you’d know if you love her.”

“Cicily has a partner?” I was baffled.

“It’s. Me!” Yang hit me full force in the face with an open palm. The sound echoed through my room.

“How long?” I asked.

“The year after the Alp leveled half of our home.” She was much more quiet now. “You’re not the woman I always looked up to. I don’t know if you ever were. You’re nothing, Gemma Oket.”

My head rang suddenly and I let out a pained scream, before burying my head in my pillow and bawling my eyes out.

“Are you done?” Yang asked.

“You win,” I said.

“I wasn’t competing.”

“You’re right. Huld was right. I’m nothing.” I looked up at her.

“Do you know your eyes are glowing?” Yang asked. I looked at my reflection in the window to confirm, I had glowing green eyes, reflecting and disturbing the view from my bedroom.

“It happens when I think about Huld,” I whispered.

“Did Huld tell you that you were worthless, too?”

“All the time. When you said that, I got a splitting headache and remembered Huld casting some kind of spell at me, when I stood up to her.

“You’re traumatized.”

“I’m fine, it was so long ago.”

“The only times I’ve ever heard of your powers working are when you think of Huld. Or the one time on the boat where you saved Cicily but you went unresponsive after.”

“What makes you so smart?”

“Cicily taught me to read, and I have a lot of time on my hands, being undead.”

“I want to change,” I said.

“Do you mean that?”

“Yes. I want to help the marsh again,” I said.

“Fine. I’ll help you.”

“How so?” I asked.

“I’m going to help you sort through some trauma. Maybe if you can get your Marra powers back, you can just fly. Then you won’t need that foot to fight.”

“How long does that take?” I asked.

“Years. Sometimes a lifetime,” she said. I stuck my hand out to her, which she took and shook, right as my door slammed open. Cicily walked in and threw an Alp head on the ground.

“What did I miss?” She asked.

“I think the better question is, what did I miss?” I said.

This log certified accurate by the High Witch Gemma Oket.


End file.
